Automobile signal



S. FASCI.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.4

APPLlcAloN man SEPT. 8. 192i.

1,420,983. Patented mez?, 1922.

Til-ES SEBASTIANO rasoi, or scorn WnYivroU'rH, Massaonusnrrs.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

Application filed September T 0 nall fw 710m t may Conce/rfa Be it known that l, SEBASTIAN() Faser, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Weymouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automobile Signa-ls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automobile signals and its object is to provide a device for signaling to other vehicles that the operation of the car carrying the same is about to be changed, as for example, that it is about to go slow, stop, back or turn, and to signal such information Without the use of pointers, semaphores, multi-colored lights or letters which are visible only for relatively short distances.

With this object in view my invention comprises a rotatable disc having distinctive markings such for example as relatively large openings each surrounded by a band of color contrasting with the color of the disc and means operable by the driver for rapidly rotating said disc lin one direction, a spring or other resilient means serving to bring the disc to its normal position by a rapid rotary movement. The disc may form the front of a housing which carries the tail lamp, in Which case said lamp is located immediately behind one of said openings when the disc is in its normal position.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specication,-

Figure 1 is an end view of an automobile provided with my improved signal;

Figure 2 is an end view of said signal on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of said signal, certain parts being shown in elevation.

In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing my invention, and Which it Will be understood are illustrative and not restrictive, 10 represents a housing attached by the brackets 11 to a suitable portion of the automobile, herein shown as the rear end of the body thereof, although it will be understood that said housing may be attached to the rear mud-guard or to the front of the car.

Located Within said housing covering the front thereof is a disc 12 of metal or other suitable material, said disc being fxedly secured in any suitable manner as for eX- ample by the nut 13 and flange 14 to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une '27, 1922. s, 1921. serial No. 499,141.v

shaft 15 the opposite end of which carries the bevel gear 16 meshing with the bevel gear 17 on the vertical countershaft 18. The disc 12 is provided with distinctive markings and in the Vpresent instance I have show/vn the same as consisting of a plurality of relatively large openings 19 each surrounded by a band of color 2O which contrasts with the color of the disc and a plurality of circles r21 each painted with a color y different from that of the disc.

rlhe shaft 15 has` a bearing in the rear ivall of the housing and in the collar 22, which is secured to said housing by the rods 23. Resilient means are provided for maintaining the disc in its normal position and for giving the same a retrograde rotary movement after the same has been rotated inone direction by the shaft 15. ln the present instance said resilient means are shown as consisting of the helical spring 24 one end of which is attached to the rod and the other to the bracket 25 fixed to the rear Wall of the housing.

Located in the housing and `preferably on' the bottom thereof is an automobile tail lamp 26. one of the openings 21 of the disc being directly in front of said tail lamp When the disc is in its normal position. A stop member 27 fixed to the inner surface of the housing is arranged in the path of the finger 28 carried by the outer face ofthe disc, and when said linger is in engagement with said stop member, the spring 24 is under a certain amount of tension, Whereby said disc is maintained in its normal position.

The countershaft 18 may be rotated manually by means of the handle 29 arranged on the steering post or on the side of the car, or, as Will be obvious, it may be rotated by means of a treadle.

Preferably the gears 16, 17 are designed as shown so that a partial rotation of the countershaft 18 will impart a complete rotation to the disc against the action of the spring 24 thereby causing the disc to Whirl rapidly and thus intermittently cutting oi and flashing the light of the tail lamp, when the latter is employed. For daylight signaling When the tail lamp is not lighted the rapid rotation of the disc provided as aforesaid with distinctive markings is visible for muc-h greater distances than pointers, semaphores, etc., ordinarily employed for automobile signaling.

lhen the driver of the following car observes the rotation of the dische is at once informed that the car carrying the same is about to change its operation and accordingly he reduces the speed of his own car in preparation Ylor such change, Whether the same is to be a stop or a turn or merely a slowing` down. lt will be obvious however, that a code may be arranged whereby a predetermined number of revolutions oit the disc may be made to indicate the precise manner in Which the operation oi the car is about to be changed.

Having` thus particularly described an illustrative embodiment ot' my invention Without however limiting the same thereto what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An automobile signal comprising;v in combination a stationary housing, a rotatable disc located in said housing; and covering the front thereof, said disc having distinctive markings, means operable by the driver for imparting to said dise a rapid rotary movement in one direction, and resili ent means for imparting to said disc a rapid rotary movement in the opposite direction.

2. An automobile signal comprising in combination a stationary housing, a rotatable disc located in said housing` and covering` the front thereof, said disc having a plurality of relatively large openings, each surrounded by a band of color contrasting` With the color of said disc, means operable by the driver for imparting to said dise a rapid rotary movement in one direction, and resilient means for imparting to said disc a rapid rotary movement in the opposite direction.

3. An automobile signal comprising in combination a stationary housing, a rotatable 'disc located in said housing and covering the iront thereof, said disc having distinctive markings, means operable by the driver for imparting to said dise a rapid rotary movement in one direction, resilient means for imparting` to said disc a rapid rotary movement in the opposite direction, a stop member, and means carried by said disc for engaging said stop member when` said dise is in normal position, said resilient means being;- arranged to maintain the last mentioned means normally in engagement with said stop member,

4;. An automobile signal comprising in combination a stationary housing arranged to receive a lamp, a rotatable disc located in said housing and covering' the front thereof, said disc having a plurality of openings, one ot said openings being located in front of said lamp when said disc is in normal position, means operable by the driver for imparting to said disc a rapid rotary movement in one direction, and resilient means for imparting` to said dise a rapid rotary movement in the opposite direction` ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day oit September, 1921.

SEBASTIANO rasoi. 

